Erol had been thinking negative thoughts about Sophia because she had "dumped" him for another guy right before Christmas. Steve said to Erol, "Hey, did you hear that Sophia got really sick?" After hearing this news, Erol felt guilty, because he had been hoping something bad would happen to her. Erol's belief that maybe he had influenced this event BEST illustrates the influence of:
A) the law of contagion.
B) the law of similarity.
C) overestimating coincidences.
D) apparent mental causation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario demonstrates apparent mental causation, as Erol believed that his negative thoughts about Sophia may have influenced her getting sick, resulting in his feeling guilty. The other options do not apply to this scenario. The law of contagion refers to the belief that objects that have been in contact can continue to affect each other, which is not applicable here. The law of similarity suggests that things resembling each other can have an impact, which also does not apply here. Overestimating coincidences refers to attributing a significance to a coincidence that is not actually there, which is not evident here.

Erol Had Been Thinking Negative Thoughts About Sophia Because She